The year 2022, which has just ended, was not exactly poor in highlights for the Playstation – God of War: Ragnarök, Horizon: Forbidden West or Elden Ring provided hundreds of hours of gaming fun. A look at the release calendar for 2023 shows that this does not have to change this year. We can expect Sony-exclusive triple-A titles, exciting indies, typical annual series offshoots and, of course, a lot of promising multi-platform titles. However, some releases are also unlikely next year, such as Beyond Good & Evil 2, which is floating in limbo, the remake of Knights of the Old Republic, which has been postponed indefinitely, or Marvel’s Wolverine, which is probably still a long way off – so we are aware of these titles omitted and focused on the games where a release in 2023 is currently certain or at least realistic.
Our first checklist for this article also included almost 180 previously confirmed Playstation titles – that would of course not only go beyond the scope, but downright pulverize it. As such, we only cover what we believe to be the most important stocks of 2023. You have a different opinion and one of your most wanted games is missing? Then write it in the comments! And now: Have fun with the upcoming Playstation highlights of 2023 – and be sure to read our special on the top 10 best Playstation games of 2022!
Alan Wake 2
Platform: PlayStation 5 (buy now €748.00 )| Genre: Survival Horror/Action | Developer: Remedy Entertainment
Publisher: EpicGames | Date: tba
The predecessor was an Xbox exclusive for a slim eleven years before Playstation fans could play the remastered version. With the successor, Sony disciples should be on board right from the start.
The focus of the adventure is once again writer Alan Wake, Epic Games has recently started working as a publisher, who also brought the remastered version of the first part on the way. Not much is known about part 2, but the proportion of survival horror should be significantly higher than in the more action-heavy debut.
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Credit: Epic Games/Remedy Entertainment
Aliens: Dark Descent
Platform: Playstation 4/5 | Genre: Action/Tactics | Developer: Tindalos Interactive
Publisher: Focus Entertainment | Date: tba
On the big screen, the Giger-inspired aliens hardly scare after the last two rather borderline film adaptations, but in virtual form the Xenomorphs still work brilliantly.
However, Dark Descent does not send you into a shooter or survival horror scenario, but offers tactical real-time battles in iso perspective. 30 years after the events of Alien 3, we guide a squad across the alien-infested moon of Lethe, with strategy and RPG features waiting between missions.
Alone in the dark
Platform: Playstation 5 | Genre: Survival Horror/Action | Developer: Pieces Interactive
Publisher: THQ Nordic | Date: tba
If you discount the outrageously bad online shooter Illumination, fans have now had to wait 15 years for a new adventure from survival horror veteran Edward Carnby. Inspired by the remakes of Resi 2 and 3, the reboot, simply titled Alone in the Dark, is also intended to combine modern gameplay elements with old series strengths.
The first part from 1992 serves as the basis, but the story goes its own way and incorporates characters from the first three Infogrames classics. Hopefully this year we will find out whether this is still entertaining today.
Armored Core 6: Fires of Rubicon
Platform: Playstation 5 | Genre: Action | Developer: FromSoftware
Publisher: Bandai Namco | Date: tba
Surprise! From Software doesn’t devote itself to another Souls title next, but brings back its Armored Core mech shooter series. Fans will be happy, the fifth offshoot finally appeared in 2012.
It will be exciting to see whether classic action battles with towering mechs await us again or whether the developers will incorporate a few elements of their now much more successful franchises. Because apart from the CGI trailer for the announcement, there is no more detailed information, neither about the setting nor about the story or gameplay. You can be curious!
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
Platform: Playstation 4/5 | Genre: Action-Adventure | Developer: Ubisoft Bordeaux
Publisher: Ubisoft | Date: tba
Back to the roots – this is the motto you actually take up when things aren’t going that way anymore. All the more surprising that Assassin’s Creed: Mirage after the record-breaking Valhalla wants to orientate itself more towards the first series parts.
In other words: sneaking and assassinations should be in the foreground again. The setting is Baghdad in the ninth century, the protagonist is Basim, known from Valhalla. By the way: If you like the new RPG approach of the series, you shouldn’t despair. Ubisoft wants to serve both fan camps alternately with new titles in the future.
Playstation in 2023: All important games for PS5 & PS4! (1)
Source: Ubisoft
Atlas Fall
Platform: Playstation 5 | Genre: Action RPG | Developer: Deck13
Publisher: Focus Entertainment | Date: tba
There can’t be enough fantasy role-playing games – developer Deck13 probably thought so too and is currently working on Atlas Fallen. However, the setting clearly stands out from the crowd: In the action-packed RPG, we travel through a mysterious, decayed world covered in deserts, in which we compete against monsters and corrupted gods.
The sand is said to be an important gameplay element and plays a major role in combat and locomotion.
Atomic Heart
Platform: Playstation 4/5 | Genre: First Person Shooter/RPG | Developer: Mundfish
Publisher: Focus Entertainment | Date: February 21, 2023
An extraordinary setting awaits us in February: Atomic Heart takes you to an alternative Soviet Union in 1955, where enormous advances in robotics technology were made during World War II – and strange things are now happening in one of the factories that we should of course clarify.
A mix of first-person shooter and RPG mechanics is offered in terms of play, including a robo-crafting system.
Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora
Platform: Playstation 5 | Genre: Action-Adventure | Developer: Massive Entertainment
Publisher: Ubisoft | Date: tba
The game based on James Cameron’s Avatar franchise was supposed to be released before the second movie – that obviously didn’t work out. Before the third part, however, we should make the virtual Pandora unsafe.
An independent story is told that is not based on one of the cinema strips, and we embody one of the blue-skinned Na’vi aliens – but so far nothing more is known about the plot. Incidentally, the division makers at Massive Entertainment are responsible for the open-world action-adventure.
Blood Bowl 3
Platform: Playstation 4/5 | Genre: Sports Game/Action/Tactics | Developer: cyanides
Publisher: Nacon | Date: February 23, 2023
We’ve been really well supplied with Warhammer licensed games lately. It will continue in February when the third part of the Blood Bowl series will be released. Based on the board game of the same name, we send two teams into a bloodthirsty, over-the-top version of American football, complete with all sorts of Warhammer Fantasy characters.
Scoring becomes much easier when you maim or kill opponents. There are twelve different races to choose from at release, from which we recruit our team and then lead them through the Blood Bowl league.
Braid: Anniversary Collection
Platform: Playstation 4/5 | Genre: Puzzle/Skill | Developer: Number None
Publisher: Number None | Date: tba
Sure, Braid isn’t a new game, it’s almost 15 years old. But the puzzle platformer by Jonathan Blow is a real indie masterpiece that is still wonderfully entertaining today. The Anniversary Edition is the perfect opportunity for those who need to catch up on the title. Because it not only comes with an improved look, but also with a few new pieces of music and an audio commentary from the developer – but it was already announced for 2021. So it’s about time!
